GECDSB Maintains High Rate of Success in 2011 OSSLT
June 15, 2011
Eighty-two percent of Grade 10 students in the Greater Essex County District School Board passed the Ontario Secondary Schools Literacy Test in their first attempt this year. The provincial test, which measures whether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9, was written in March.
GECDSB students have achieved a success rate between 83 and 81 percent over the past 5 years. For more information download the 2011 OSSLT Report

Green Schools Rule!
May 30, 2011
This year, 59 schools in the Greater Essex County District School Board have submitted applications for certification under Ontario EcoSchools. That’s 10 more than last year and 78% of the schools in the entire Board. Pending the school visits and evaluations, there should also be and increase in Gold level certificates earned this year , up from 11 in 2010.
Every school in the Board is doing something to benefit the environment, whether they pursue the certification or not and that’s the important thing. A recent article in Education Week magazine (http://bit.ly/mSMyHH) reports on a study by the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Green Building Council, which concludes the schools which actively engage in environmental activities are better for students, teachers, the environment and the “bottom line” (finances).
10 schools in the GECDSB currently operate without a garbage dumpster. They have eliminated a lot of waste and they recycle most of the rest, which includes, in many cases, composting. The remainder of their garbage is taken to the curb and collected in the regular weekly pick-up.
For students and staff throughout the Greater Essex County District School Board, being “green” is just The Right Thing to Do for the Planet.

2011 GECDSB Special Olympics
May 10, 2011
More than 500 student-athletes from schools across the Greater Essex County District School Board will take part in the Board's annual Special Olympics at Sandwich Secondary School in LaSalle May 18th & 19th. With the help of a group of enthusiastic community partners and more than 100 student volunteers, this year's event will be memorable.
The elementary school participants will take part in 4 competitions: 50 and 100 metre races, the ball throw and standing long jump. When they arrive at the Carrick Complex in the morning, they'll march in accompanied by the Marlborough and Anderdon Public School Drum Lines.
The next day, the student-athletes from the Board's secondary schools will enjoy the same grand ceremonial opening before they begin a schedule of 6 events: 50, 100 and 200 metre races, shot put and standing and running long jump.
Following competition both days, the students will enjoy a unique opportunity to socialize with their friends and fellow competitors.
The goal of the GECDSB Special Olympics is to provide every student with an equal and fair opportunity to demonstrate their athletic ability in open and fun competition.

Massive Music Monday
Apr. 28, 2011
On May 2nd 750 students from the Greater Essex County District School Board will sing, play and enjoy the music they learn in school at a Massive Music Monday celebration in Windsor's Dieppe Park.
Music Monday is a national event to recognize the importance of music education coordinated by the Coalition for Music Education (www.musicmakesus.ca). On the first Monday in May, students and teachers are encouraged to take their music programs outdoors and into their communities to perform the same song at the exact same time. This year the song commissioned for the event is "Tomorrow is Coming", written by Juno Award nominated folk artist Luke Doucet.
The students from 2 GECDSB high schools and 10 elementary schools will gather in Dieppe Park at 12:15 for a rehearsal with Windsor Symphony Orchestra conductor John Morris Russell. At the designated time, 1:00 p.m. EDT, Maestro Russell will lead the immense group of singers and musicians in their performance of "Tomorrow is Coming".
At the same time, students at other public schools across Windsor and Essex County will also be doing their part to unite the country in song.

Up With Bottoms II
Apr. 14, 2011
The Greater Essex County District School Board put a wrap on its Up With Bottoms II campaign by turning over almost 20,000 diapers to the Children's Aid Society of Windsor and Essex County.
The diapers were donated by Board employees during the month of March. The goal was to put diapers on every seat in the Board's auditorium at its Park Street office. When CAS Executive Director Bill Bevan and members of his staff arrived to collect them, it was standing room only. Not just the seats were covered with diapers, but many of the desktops and some of the floor. In all 210 packages of diapers were contributed by GECDSB employees.
Mr. Bevan thanked everyone for their generosity. He said having diapers to distribute to the families they serve directly benefits the health and well being of many babies and toddlers in our communities.
This is the Board's second diaper collection drive for the CAS. The first Up With Bottoms campaign managed to fill an entire school bus with diapers.

Lieutenant Governor Presents Ontario Heritage Awards
Mar. 31, 2011
Because John Campbell Public School students could not go to the 2011 Ontario Heritage Trust Awards ceremony in February, Lieutenant Governor David C. Onley brought the awards to them.
A snowstorm made it unsafe for the Campbell contingent to attend the event at Queens Park in Toronto, so Mr. Onley graciously added a stop at the recently renovated Heritage School to the itinerary of a previously scheduled visit to the Windsor area. He presided over the presentation of the awards for Youth Achievement in Cultural Heritage to 24 grade 8 students at John Campbell. The students were recognized for their participation in the Junior Curators program offered by the Windsor Community Museum. Under the guidance of Hugh Barrett, from the museum and teacher Lisa Richards, they determined the themes for displays at their school and helped select the artifacts for the exhibits from the museum’s collection.
The Lieutenant Governor congratulated the students and told them, “You can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you are right now and you can’t know that unless you know where you came from.”
In her remarks, teacher Lisa Richards publicly commended her students, “They are examples of how a group of young citizens can bring history to life in order to ensure that their peers, younger students and members of the school community continue to be proud of Windsor’s and Canada’s rich heritage.”

Qi Wins Oral Communications Competition
Mar. 11, 2011
Tom Qi, a Grade 8 student from M.D. Bennie Public School in Leamington, is the winner of the annual Greater Essex County District School Board Oral Communications Competition. His speech, The History of Facebook, made a strong impression on the judging panel at the finals, held at the Board Auditorium in Windsor. Tom presented an overview of the social network's brief, but impressive pedigree and its impact on the way we communicate.
Sarah Michelle Bricker of D.M. Eagle Public School placed second with her speech on a bully's perspective on bullying. Isabella D'Annunzio from King Edward Public School was third. She spoke about the prophesized end of the world in 2012. The top three finishers received trophies as well as cash awards from corporate partner, ENWIN Utilities.
All eight finalists acquitted themselves honourably. Each one had advanced from class, school and regional competitions.

4th Graders Compose Music for WSO
Mar. 1, 2011
Grade 4 students from Dr. David Suzuki Public School, King Edward Public School and Hugh Beaton Public School have collaborated on a musical composition that will be performed by the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.
Maestro John Morris Russell provided the introduction to this project by leading interactive conducting workshops at each school. The goal was to create a piece of music based on a medieval tune, L’homme arme, which will be arranged by the WSO’s  Assistant Conductor, Peter Wiebe and presented during a series of symphony concerts in April.
The students worked in harmony with Learning Through the Arts operatives Ted Lamont and Karen McClellan, who gave them up-close demonstrations of the numerous techniques available to composers writing for stringed instruments. The WSO String Quintet also performed for the Grade 4s as part of the preparation for their opus. Learning Through the Arts is a program administered through the Royal Conservatory of Music and designed to enliven all areas of the core curriculum by bringing artists into the classroom.
The WSO will perform the students’ composition during their Education Concerts series: April 5th – Migration Hall, Kingsville; April 6 - 8 – Chrysler Theatre, Windsor. The Grade 4 composers will get to hear their music performed at the April 8th concert.

Kindergarten Registration
Feb. 9, 2011
“We Have Big Plans For Your Little One!”  is much more than just a slogan, it’s a fact! In Greater Essex County District School Board kindergarten classrooms our professional staff of teachers and early childhood educators delivers a play-based curriculum designed to establish positive learning and social habits. Children develop beginning reading and writing skills, acquire the ability to problem solve and learn health and safety practices for themselves and others.
We invite families to register their little ones for kindergarten between February 14th and the 25th. Contact your local school for information and a registration package. Along with all the necessary forms, you’ll receive some wonderful resources to help prepare you and your child for next September.
All the schools with kindergarten programs will be holding Open Houses on Wednesday, February 16th, beginning at 5:30. Stop by for an evening of discovery and hospitality, meet the staff and see what’s waiting in the kindergarten classroom.
Sixteen schools in the Greater Essex County District School Board will have Full Day Kindergarten during the 2011-12 school year. All the other schools offer full day – alternating day programs. For more information - click on the Kindergarten link on the GECDSB home page.

Aviva Backs Playground Plan
Jan. 31 2011
For three months people in Essex, especially those with a connection to Essex Public School, burned up the internet, voting in the Aviva Community Fund competition. They were endorsing a plan to create a fully accessible playground at the school for the whole community to use and enjoy.
Aviva, one of the leading insurance providers in Canada, sponsors this national contest, soliciting “action oriented ideas” to “support people within Canadian communities in creating the positive changes they desire.”
Enough votes were registered to get the Essex project into the final round of the contest, which ended on January 24th. The next morning at an assembly of the entire school Principal Lynn McLaughlin asked the students if they thought they had won. “Yeah!” was the resounding response. They were right!
The final determination, made by a panel of judges, was that the Essex playground plan had a great likelihood of success, was sustainable and would have an impact on the community for a long time. Aviva committed $200 thousand to the project, more than anyone had thought possible. That’s one-fifth of the entire amount available to all contenders across the county.
Mrs. McLaughlin told her students and the many community partners gathered in the gym, "We can do everything we wanted to do." That includes playground equipment, a gazebo, a walking trail and an outdoor learning centre.

Join Generation G
Jan. 19, 2011
When Geoff Green isn’t on an expedition to the North or South Pole, he’s likely talking about his adventures. Green, one of the 40 most influential Canadians under 40, spoke to more than 500 students and teachers involved with the Greater Essex County District School Board’s environmental stewardship program at their annual training workshop.
“You are so powerful,” he told them. “You are capable of making a huge difference.”
He presented evidence showing, and talked about how much the polar ice caps have changed in less than 2 generations.
Through his “Students on Ice” program, which takes groups on educational trips to the Polar regions, he has attempted to influence young people to join what he calls his Generation G movement. “G” stands for green, or global, or generous or grateful, it’s open for discussion, but he says whoever joins is an “agent of change”.
Green is impressed with the Board’s EcoSchools programs and the efforts being made in schools throughout the district. He noted that the things done here, in Windsor and Essex County influence the condition of the Poles and the environment, globally, because he says, everything is interconnected.

Bailey New Board Chair
Dec.9, 2010
Helga Bailey, Trustee for Amherstburg / LaSalle, has been chosen by her colleagues to be Chair of the GECDSB Board of Trustees for a one year term.
Mrs. Bailey, a former teacher at Anderdon Public School, served as Vice-Chair last year. “After 32 years in the classroom and 4 years as a Trustee,” she says, “it is my privilege to serve as Chair and to be part of a school board that illustrates the creativity, innovation, commitment, dedication and caring that make our schools places where students can find their pathway to success.”
Dave Taves (Leamington / Pelee Island) was elected Vice-Chair. Trustees also elected leadership for its standing committees:

December 6, 2010
Prince Edward - Charity Basketball
Throwing a leather ball through a steel hoop might not be a compelling achievement but it’s the basis of a significant occasion for the Prince Edward Public School community.
The second annual Pacers vs Police basketball game was played on December 2nd and it continued to score points in a multitude of ways. Everything is organized, promoted and run by grade 8 students, the culmination of their Global Citizenship unit of study. They have learned about making a difference in their community and put it into action with this event.
The game, which features officers from Windsor Police Services taking on members of both the boys and girls basketball teams, is an exhibition which demonstrates and encourages a positive relationship with police in the community. It has also raised a lot of money for local charities. This year the Canadian Cancer Society, the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society and the Mark Landry Scholarship Fund shared in more than $3 thousand.

November 18, 2010
We Care We Can Campaign 2010
Students and staff of the Greater Essex County District School Board have contributed more than 350 tons of food to community food banks in the past 3 years through the We Care We Can Campaign.
All 76 schools in the Board have made a commitment to stage a food drive this year, most scheduled during the November 15-26 campaign.
We Care We Can is an incredible community alliance, with partners from Mayflower Moving and Storage, Windsor and Essex County Rotary Clubs and the Unemployed Help Centre joining the Board to serve people in need.

November 10, 2010
Forster Spartans Play it Forward
The players on the Forster Spartans senior girls’ basketball team believe that being a part of a high school varsity team is a privilege and they understand that there have been many special people in their lives who have made the opportunity possible.
It was in that spirit that the team visited the after-school homework program at Water World in Windsor recently to hold a 2 hour basketball clinic for the kids. It was their goal to pay forward to someone else for some of the good things that have been done for them.
The players ran some skill drills, promoted teamwork and organized a few fun games for the group of students who ranged in age from 4 – 16.
“Both groups had a profound impact on each other,” said Forster head coach Desreen Burnett-Curry. The Spartans were unbeaten during their WECSSAA regular season and are gearing up for a run at the WECSSAA and SWOSSA “A” division championships.

October 26, 2010
Waiting for Superman
Internationally acclaimed education reformer Geoffrey Canada shared his message of hope with Greater Essex County District School Board staff at our Community Day on September 2nd. He inspired us with his story of how children in inner-city New York are overcoming tremendous challenges for a chance of survival and a glimmer of a prosperous future.
He previewed, during his presentation, the movie “Waiting for Superman”, which, since its release has received wide acclaim for its frank review of the education system in the United States.
The GECDSB is pleased that Lakeshore Cinemas is showing this thoughtful and sometimes controversial documentary through November 4th.  “While this movie is critical of public education in the U.S.” says Superintendent of Education Clara Howitt, “we remain proud of our staff and their ability to help our students achieve success. It is, however, important to have opportunities like this to foster continued conversations and actions which create hope and prosperity for all students.

September 30, 2010
Grand Opening Dr. David Suzuki Public School
Dr. David Suzuki Public School is special and nothing less than that would have been appropriate for its Grand Opening celebration.
From the enthusiastic opening, that featured the first public singing of the new school song, to the 30 minute thought provoking address by the school’s namesake, students and staff at the new JK – Grade 8 school had a fitting coming out party.
There was limitless praise for the school and the planning that created it, from a series of guests, including Board Chairperson Gale Simko-Hatfield, Windsor-Tecumseh MPP and Ontario Minister of Finance Dwight Duncan, Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis and Director of Education Warren Kennedy, who credited the smooth process of conception through completion to “a true team effort”.
Dr. David Suzuki Public School is a demonstration site for burgeoning environmental technologies. There are 20 included in the design, such as geo-thermal heating and cooling, sun pipes, and rain water collection. The school is also expected to be an incubator for ideas and programs to reduce the carbon footprint of its occupants both there and at the homes of everyone in the community. Dr Suzuki was impressed with his first tour of the building and the enthusiasm of the students. He said he’s very proud about having his name associated with such a wonderful school and that he will be bragging about it wherever he goes. WatchVideo

September 20, 2010
CAW 444 Supports Marlborough Public School
It’s the start of a wonderful partnership! The folks who build Chrysler mini-vans want to help staff and parents support students at Marlborough Public School.
The Marlborough Mariners, who claim to be “the Best in the West”, met representatives from Local 444 of the Canadian Auto Workers and exchanged gifts to acknowledge their new relationship. Employees from Windsor’s Plant 3 collected school supplies which were given to the students, while their union executive chipped in with $5,000 to help the school.
Local 444 President Rick Laporte received a beaded necklace from Principal Jessica Reimers. Marlborough has a student incentive program to reward acts of kindness they call “Beads for Good Deeds”. Mr. Laporte told students and staff at an enthusiastic assembly that this is just their first gesture of what should be a long friendship.

September 9, 2010
Welcome Back Everybody
There are few dates on the calendar that evoke as much excitement as the Tuesday after Labour Day! Everything is either polished up or brand new, including outlooks and attitudes, for the first day of school.
September 7, 2010 was an extra special day in the Greater Essex County District School Board, with the opening of Canada’s first school built to LEED Platinum standards, Dr. David Suzuki Public School, and the re-opening of John Campbell Public School following an impressive $10 million renovation.
One thing that’s not new this year is the Greater Essex County District School Board’s commitment to each student and their right to learn, achieve and succeed.
The Greater Essex County District School Board serves approximately 35,000 students at 76 schools spread through 8 communities in Windsor and Essex County.
Welcome back!